


through sand and stars

by starshipgraveyard



Category: Overwatch (Video Game), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, F/F, hana is still a mech pilot- mechs are a new technology the resistance are testing, lena is force sensitive but chose to become a pilot rather than training to be a jedi, main ship is hana/rey but it's subtle/slow burn, this is set a couple months BEFORE tfa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-08 23:38:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8867803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starshipgraveyard/pseuds/starshipgraveyard
Summary: Hana Song, wonderchild test pilot for the Resistance, crash lands on Jakku where she meets a certain lonely scavenger.





	1. Crash Lander

**HANA SONG FLIGHT LOG**

14:27 : 11 GRZ : 34 ABY

 _Pilot has docked on D’Qar. Commence_ _recording._

 **HANA** : Is this thing on? Oh, okay, it is. I always forget to flip the second switch. Thanks Athena.

Landing checks. Fusion cannons- fully functional. Defense matrix- working. Boosters- need to check over, became stuck upon exit. Light blaster- ugh, usable I guess, but I’d prefer something with a bit more _kick._ Gotta ask Torb about that. Okay, okay, stay professional Hana, beginning mission log.

Recon assignment to Serenno City was a success- two First Order agents were identified and apprehended into our custody, local authorities notified – infiltration is suspected. Little damage to mech, no fatalities on our side. Waiting for debriefing before continuing log. Song out.

 

* * *

The first thing Hana noticed was that she was definitely _not_ in her own bed. Her warm, uncomfortable-in-a-familiar-way bunk room bed, surrounded by fellow pilots, wrapped up in 3 blankets. Wherever she was laying was soft, though, so she couldn’t complain, but she just wished the sun wasn’t almost burning through her eyelids. Was no one in this squadron capable of pulling the blinds?

She rolled onto her front, and immediately gagged at the sudden rough and bitter taste in her mouth. _What the hell is that?_

Hana sat up, frowning, and rubbed her eyes groggily, finally peering around at her mysterious surroundings.

_Oh._

_Oh_ shit _._

This was no bunk room.

Only a sunny desert sky, stretching as far as her eyes could see.

Hana’s stomach dropped, her hands shaking slightly as she dropped them to her side. She screwed her eyes shut. Even the thought of staring up at endless clouds or out into the sands was making her feel dizzy.

_This is just a bad dream…it’s just a dream, idiot…_

She fell, screaming, into infinite black space. There was nothing she could do to stop her fall- shadows pressed into her from all angles, pushing between her eyes, dancing up her limbs, leaving a peculiar. burning sensation. Hana couldn’t speak – a metallic taste on her tongue made her gag, and she didn’t think anyone would hear her anyway. Not out here.

Eight red eyes stared out at her from the darkness.

“Sleeping again already?”

Hana jumped at the sudden voice, snapping out of her nightmarish reverie. A goggled stranger was standing above her, holding out a hand. She took it warily, letting herself be pulled to her feet. They were few inches taller than her, their entire body swaddled in tan gauze, a staff slung across their back.

“Um…thanks?” She felt uneasy not being able to make out their face. _Where am I?_ A moment passed before she realised she hadn’t said the words aloud. “Thanks for helping me up. Where am I?”

“You’re on the lovely planet of Jakku.” The stranger’s sarcasm was biting. “All you could ever want! Endless sand, deadly mercs and desperate scavengers.”

 _Jakku…planet in the Western Reaches, 6400km diameter, Type 1 atmosphere, cold climate._ Now that the mystery of her whereabouts had been solved, Hana’s pilot brain kicked in, focusing on the facts.

“Hello? You still with me?” The stranger waved a hand across Hana’s face. “Oh, good, thought I’d lost you there. Anyway, I found this near you, is it yours?”

Her light blaster was pressed into her hands, a little worse for wear, but seemingly functional.

Hana stared into the stranger’s goggles. “You just said something about desperate scavengers. Why didn’t you just scrap this?”

“Oh, the Blobfish only wants junk that can be repurposed into ship.” They waved a slim arm dispassionately. “I’d get nothing for this.”

“Couldn’t you use it yourself? Y’know, self defense.”

The stranger pointed at the staff slung across their back. “Got everything I need right here.”

Hana grinned, holstering the blaster. “Thanks.” _Hopefully they didn’t find the mech._ “Hey, do you mind pointing towards the nearest town? Preferably one with Resistance sympathies. You know, because.” She gestured at her orange flight suit.

The scavenger scribbled a rough map to Niima Outpost on a scrap of paper Hana had in her flight pouch- they had rather delicate hands, she noted- and was on their way. Once she was sure they were gone- she waited an extra ten minutes to be safe- she set off looking for her mech.

She must have ejected moments before crash landing, and since she must have done that close to the surface and the trajectory from the eject wasn’t huge, the mech must be somewhere close by. _Unless I was moved before I woke up._ That stranger had seemed _far_ too helpful. And she didn’t even know how long she’d actually been out.

Unhooking her gun – thankfully, it was still full of ammo – she made her way silently through the sands.

 

* * *

 “Fareeha! FAREEHA! Shit, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Fareeha, full of morning grogginess, hadn’t even fully registered her name being called before being barrelled into by 5’4” of nervous energy and sleep deprivation shakiness. She let Lena hug her tight for a few moments before prising her off, setting her down into the nearest chair, where she all but collapsed. _What a wake up call…_

“How can I help you, Lena?”

“Pssh, no need to be so formal ‘Reeha.” The other starfighter pilot waved a careless hand, trying to stifle a yawn. “But no seriously, we need to talk right now. Is anyone else here?”

“Jess left for breakfast and Ceri is out training, it’s just us.” Fareeha eyed Lena’s dark ringed eyes and tousled spiky hair. _She really_ does _look exhausted._ “What’s wrong?”

“Hana’s…Hana’s missing.”

Fareeha was surprised Lena had even kept this to herself for the few moments they’d been talking, and not run in screaming. She sat back into her own seat, running her hands through her hair, not able to get any words out. _Shit. SHIT._ Hana was one of their closest friends, only 19, a pilot prodigy and talented technician to boot.

But she was only 19, and lost somewhere in space alone.

“When did you find out?” she finally managed to say, her voice cracking.  “She’s only been gone for a couple days-“

“Just now. Her mech’s gone offline. Leia’s- um, General Leia-“ Lena faltered at Fareeha’s stern look “-she’s going to brief us all _officially_ soon. She told me first though and was going to tell you too, since we’re her best friends and all, but I just couldn’t find you in time.” Lena waved her arms wildly. “Y’know, I think we should go looking, it’s not like Hana to just disappear, she’s one of our best, who knows what’s-“

“Whoa, whoa, watch out.” Lena’s flailing arms had almost knocked over a piping hot mug of coffee onto both their laps. Fareeha grabbed her hands tight. “Lena…. when was the last time you slept?”

She flashed a tired grin. “Doesn’t matter. Anyway, I gotta tell you something else too.”

“And that’s?”

Lena looked around the small bunk room shiftily, making sure it was still clear, then leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s deliberate. Leia said it’s just a mission gone wrong, but I know it’s not. I’m telling you, ‘Reeha.” The younger pilot’s dark eyes were wide and almost manic. “First your mum, now Hana, who’s next? Poe? One of us?”

“Don’t joke about that, Lena.” Fareeha shifted uneasily and crossed her arms tight. “And my mother isn’t _missing_ , she’s just taking a…sabbatical.”

“Bullshit. She’s been gone 5 months and no one’s heard from her since. Commanders don’t just fuck off like that.” Fareeha could just pick up a whine in Lena’s voice underneath the anger– the manic look in her eyes was gone, replaced with tears dripping down her face. She pulled the other woman into a hug.

“Oh, come here you. It’ll be fine. Hana will come home.”

“I know it’s deliberate.” Lena mumbled into Fareeha’s shoulder, shifting slightly so she could tap her head. “Force stuff. I just _know_.”

Fareeha, in all her years of knowing Lena, from budding padawan to genius pilot, still didn't know if the Force worked like that. “Mmmm. And what else does this, uh, ‘Force Stuff’ tell you?”

“That you want to ask the hot doctor Mercy out on a date.” Lena wiped her tears away, grinning again. “And that you can’t stop staring at her- ow!’ Fareeha had swatted her over the head, dark cheeks red with embarrassment. “Aww, you’re blushing!”

“Am not.” was all that Fareeha could grumble. _Was I really that obvious?_

“Suuuuure."

“We have to talk to someone else about this.” Fareeha muttered stiffly, anxious to change the subject. “There must be some way we can help, someone must know _something_.”

“What, about your huge crush on the doctor – OUCH, I’M KIDDING! I’M KIDDING!” Lena dodged more of Fareeha’s swats with a roll, giggling madly. Fareeha smiled warmly down at her. It was good to just joke around like this with a friend, even in the midst of uncertainty.

Hana would come home soon. She was sure of it.

 

* * *

 Her mech had certainly seen better days.

Hana clenched her fists, willing herself not to scream. Holy SHIT. This baby was MANGLED.

The front screen was completely shattered, the legs scratched to all hell, the side ‘wings’ bent at all angles. It was a miracle it was still standing at all.

She inspected the fusion cannons- ammo tanks were totally empty, their former contents possibly floating through the depths of space if the giant cracks in them were anything to go by. _Wonderful._ She didn’t think there’d be any fusion shells for top-secret Resistance mechs on this backwards ass planet.

Hana sighed, prying open the broken escape-hatch of the mech so she could lie inside. Thankfully, the interior seemed pretty untouched, save for the broken screen glass which she brushed away. She shut the hatch best she could and curled up in a ball.

“Hana Song, welcome back.”

If she’d had space to jump, Hana would’ve almost rocketed off into the atmosphere. She supposed she must have brushed against the controls as she curled up – that was the only way the robotic voice would’ve rung out- but how would her mech have enough power to run its AI system?

“Hiya, Athena.”

“Hana Song, I must inform you that this mech unit has sustained critical damage.”

“I know that, Athe.” An idea struck her suddenly. “Hey, any chance the comlink is still online?”

A pause. “I’m afraid not. All communciations offline.”

“I’m guessing ‘all communications’ includes my personal comlink too?’

“Unfortunately, yes. It appears to be lost, or so broken that my systems can no longer pick it up.”

Hana groaned, slumping over even more. If she waited more than a day to call in, Lucio would be worrying out of his _mind_. “Great, I guess I’m stuck here now. Can you run a scan on me? My head is _killing_ me.” She didn’t feel like anything was broken, but she supposed she could be in shock.

“Pilot vitals functioning well, but closer analysis indicates exhaustion. You should sleep, Hana.”

“I can’t, who knows who’ll turn up while I’m out.” She thought of the mysterious, too-friendly scavenger from earlier. “Is it possible to move this thing?”

“No. Power levels operating only to keep the AI, that is, myself, running. I’ll raise shields while you sleep and immediately inform you if anyone approaches.”

Hana peered through the wide front of her mech. She’d found it halfway towards Niima Outpost, hidden in the shadows of some huge fallen Imperial starship. She’d almost never spotted it, if it hadn’t been for the distinctive gleam off its snowy hull.

It was nearly nightfall anyway, and if she- the proud pilot of the mech- had barely been able to find it, she supposed no one else would while she slept.

“Sure, Athena. Turn on the heater though. Desert nights are NOT fun for tiny Naboo girls.”

 

* * *

Hana's second day on Jakku started in a _much_ more eventful way.

Firstly, the mech appeared to be shifting- it _could_ have been sand,  Hana supposed, if it wasn’t so….deliberate. A small light flashed up on one of the working screens left inside the mech’s cockpit.

_Hana. Unknown person has approached. Proceed with caution._

_Thanks, Athena._ As quietly as she could, Hana pulled out of her gun. She was confident she could take on anyone interfering with her mech, but given her size and limited ammo, it would be best to take them by surprise. Difficult, now that it was daylight hours again too.

So, how the _hell_ would she exit the mech silently with a creaking escape hatch?

The mech shifted some more, accompanied by a horrible screeching noise and soft cursing. Hana paused – she couldn’t leave by the escape hatch quietly, but by the cursing she guessed the intruder was at the rear of the mech. If she could fit through the broken front screen….

She stuck her head out the front, and was met face-to-face with a goggled, gauze-shrouded figure.

“YOU!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This is the first fic I've written in a couple years, and the first fic I've written for both Star Wars and Overwatch- so I combined the two! I was inspired by D.va's Junker skin and the fact that her and Rey are the same age- and the lack of femslash I felt comfortable reading about D.va since none of the other OVW ladies are near her in age.
> 
> A few days after I started planning this, I found out that there was a new Star Wars reference when Junker D.va respawns (she quotes Han Solo) so thanks Blizzard for confirming this haha.


	2. Forest for the Leaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana confronts a thief, and a certain assassin is watching Lena closely.

**HANA SONG FLIGHT LOG**

18:03 : 14 GRZ : 34 ABY

_Pilot has docked on Hosnian Prime. Commence recording._

**HANA** : Thanks, Athena. Okay, starting landing checks. Fusion cannons- fully operational. Mech body- slightly scratched, but that’s all. Defense matrix-  working perfectly. Boosters- no issues for _once_ , last check-up fixed any problems.

I’m currently preparing for a mission to Naboo- with no one other than Lucio! It's no holiday, but _still,_  first mission with my brother in so long!

We’re due to be scouting Theed because of a smuggling ring located there- agents reported that they have ties to the First Order, but it’s very lowkey. We still need to be briefed fully, so I’ll report more later. Song out.

 

* * *

 The scavenger flinched at Hana’s wild yell, then spotted her gun and drew their own staff, holding it defensively across their body. Hana tumbled out of the mech, pointing her blaster at the stranger.

“You’re that weird scavenger from yesterday. Explain yourself.”

“Put down that gun of yours first then.”

Hana scoffed, but lowered the blaster, pointing it at the sand between the stranger’s feet.

“Tell me _just_  what you think you’re doing.”

The scavenger tapped the fusion cannon closest to them. “Scrapping this thing for parts, obviously.”

“What use is this piece of junk now? It’s mangled.”

“Not all of it. I can use most of it actually. Cell cannons, the legs look like they have boosters, maybe there’s a reactor core in there somewhere?”

Hana was impressed with their knowledge of Resistance tech- but she wasn’t going to show it to this thief. “ _Fusion_ cannons, actually. And you can’t have it, it’s mine.”

“All’s game in Jakku.” They shrugged. “I found it and moved it here, I couldn’t bring it straight home. Didn’t expect to find you dozing off in it though… I thought it was just some sort of drone.”

Ah. So _that’s_ why she’d found her mech hidden in the shadows of a shipwreck, and not half buried out in desert sands. Hana eyed the scavenger suspiciously – true, they were a few inches taller, but just as slim, maybe even more so.

“How did you even move this out here? There’s no power left.” _You wouldn’t be able to fly it anyway,_ she thought with a small smirk.

They gestured at a beat-up speeder in the distance. “I built that thing, it’s a lot tougher than it looks. Just tied it onto the side.”

Hana nodded, still a bit disbelieving. The stranger had slung their staff over their back and was fiddling with the gauze wrapped over their head. She was struck with an idea.

“Hey. You’ve seen my face, show me yours.”

“No.”

“What, not even giving me the courtesy of knowing who tried to rob me?”

That sure caught their attention - sighing, they pushed their goggles up and pulled down the wrap covering their face.

A tanned, freckled girl with huge dark eyes stared back at Hana.

“Another girl!” Hana was only a little surprised – girls always fought harder than boys, and this one looked ready to _fight_ her. “What’s your name?”

“Rey.”

“Well, I’m Hana.”

“You’re with the Resistance, right?” Rey said , recalling their conversation from before. She stared at Hana’s bright orange flight suit with wide eyes. “Are the rest of your squadron here? Why did you crash land?”

 _NOW she’s talkative._ “I don’t know, I got separated from them during a mission and next thing I know I wake up in the middle of a desert.” A sudden, sickeningly familiar vision of eight red eyes flashed across her mind, and she rubbed her own eyes.

Rey looked sort of disappointed. Clearly, she’d been expecting a much more exciting story.

“I guess it’s not often you meet Resistance pilots out here, huh?”

She nodded. “And when I do, they’re mostly just ugly.” At that, Hana giggled, and Rey blushed so much she pulled her face wrap back up.

They stood there in awkward silence for a few moments, until Hana pointed at Rey’s speeder.

“You said you hauled the mech here with that thing, right? Mind helping me move it back to yours? I need a place to, uh, crash for a little while, if you don’t mind.”

At the way Rey immediately stiffened, it was clear she very much _did_ mind.

“Can’t you contact the rest of your team?” she said bluntly,  staring Hana in the eyes. 

“I can’t, communicator’s broken and I doubt I’ll found the chip to fix it any time soon.” Hana grinned impishly. “Besides, you just tried to rob me, I think a trade’s fair. All’s game in Jakku, right?”

It was a gamble being so flippant when Rey could’ve easily knocked her out with that quarterstaff. She was relying on the other girl being fair, just like when she asked to see her face- and she was right. Rey sighed again, strode over to her speeder, and called out to Hana over the sands.

“Come on, then.”

 

* * *

 The assassin had patience enough to wait for days.

Widowmaker set down her rifle, breathing in the woody air. _How boring._ She was perched in a forest at the edge of the Resistance base, black clad, hidden from sight of any prying rebels. Her yellow eyes shone in the darkness- there was no _interesting_ activity today. But it was only the first day. More exciting times would come.

She rummaged in her pouch, pulling out a longer-range scope- this mission was more recon than extermination- and screwed it onto her sniper rifle, aiming it back at the base far in the distance. If her source was right, the target would be leaving training right about…

Now.

“Ah.” Widow tracked the lone figure dashing across the grounds. Small and fast and with a shock of brown hair, this was the Corellian pilot all right.

_Lena Oxton, call sign ‘Tracer.’ Aged 26, Force sensitive, turned down Jedi training to become a Resistance pilot. Has evaded three assassination attempts so far._

Widowmaker eyed the other woman with mild distaste. All that power at her fingertips, and she wanted to waste it on a fruitless rebellion? If that was her, she’d have flown off into the depths of space by now, answering to no one.

 _But it’s not you_ , she chided herself _. Empty your mind. Focus on the task at hand._

Wise words from a dead man.

She shook thoughts of Genji from her mind too, focusing her scope tight on the woman’s movements again. Hmm. Why had she stopped?

_Like what you see, love?_

Widow nearly dropped her rifle in shock- hell, she almost fell out of the tree. Telepathy? Force sense? That still didn’t explain how Tracer could see her- maybe just ridiculously good eyesight for a human?

Since she had no way of talking back- could Tracer read her mind too? – she stayed silent, training the rifle at the pilot.

Tracer waved at her down the scope of Widow’s gun.

 _The cheek_. Widowmaker was wondering if this job was even worth the substantial fee promised – she’d barely been on D’Qar a night, and this target was already getting on her famously patient nerves. She’d already dealt with the commander and the upstart to get to Tracer- how important could one starfighter pilot be?

Tracer seemed to be motioning for Widowmaker to come down off her perch. Did she already know this mission’s purpose wasn’t her assassination? Widow almost wanted to shoot a bullet between her pretty eyes anyway.

_Aww, come on, I won’t bite._

_Wouldn’t count on it,_ _chérie._ Widow gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth- but the words hadn’t come out of it. _What the hell?_ Tracer grinned up at her, tapping her head.

 _Force stuff, love. Don’t look so shocked_. She pointed at the ground. _Seriously though, if you don’t come here soon, I’ll scream the base down_. Tracer clasped herself in mock terror, miming a scream.

Widow sighed, weighing her options. She could use her obviously-weak-if-this-girl-could-sense-her cloaking device and find a way off the planet, or she could humour Tracer and talk. She opted for the latter.

_If she proves too annoying, I have a gun to deal with that._

* * *

 “Well, this is it.”

Hana clapped a hand over her mouth, willing herself not to be sick. She _thought_ she was used to speed, but that was only in the comfort of a ship or her mech- Rey sped across the sands like a devil.

Rey’s house turned out to be a huge collapsed structure of some sort, half buried in the desert. The entire thing was rusty, scratched and weatherworn- just like her mech now, she supposed. It was only when Hana was helping her tow the mech into the makeshift garage, that she noticed this wasn’t a building at all.

"You live in an _AT-AT_?”

“It used to be called _Hellhound 2_.” Rey said proudly, pulling back the curtain to let Hana out. Her speeder was parked outside to make way for the mech- hidden traps made sure no one would try to steal it. “How’d you figure it out?”

“From the inside, just now. I had to study their Imperial schematics during my training, even the ancient ones…”

“Huh.” Rey pressed a hidden button on the belly of the AT-AT, revealing a small hatch. “Mind your head, then.”

Rey’s living space was the troop’s compartment, cramped but tidy with bits and pieces of old tech piled near a workbench. A battered-looking flight computer sat in one corner of the room, a woven hammock in the other – Rey jumped into it, sitting with legs crossed. There were scores of scratches on the wall behind her.

“I… only have one bed, sorry.”

“It’s cool, I can sleep up there.” Hana gestured at the troop seating, yawning. “I’ve bunked down in worst places, believe me.”

“You’re free to use the hammock when I’m out, though. I need to head into Niima soon. You look exhausted.”

“Mmmm.” Hana _was_ tired, but she wanted to explore the place a little longer. “I don’t remember the last time I had a proper sleep, honestly.” She was eyeing the computer – it was ancient, but maybe, just maybe, there’d be a way to contact her squadron…call her brother...

“That won’t work, I’m afraid.” Rey had guessed what Hana was thinking. “I know it’s old Rebel tech, but there’s _rubbish_ signal out here, I can barely connect to the Holonet as it is.”

“The communicator chip is probably out of date anyway!” She tried sounding cheerful to hide the sinking feeling in her gut. Hana knew there’d been a secret Holonet channel the Rebels had used during the Empire’s reign, but if the communicator chip was busted, there was no hope. “Oh well, that’d be too easy.” She flashed a weary grin, and Rey returned it.

Hana climbed into the hammock once Rey jumped out, grateful to finally lie down. She watched the other girl gather scraps of tech into a huge mesh bag through bleary eyes- Rey threw her a tatty blanket before she left, shutting the hatch tight behind her.

Hana, curled up in the hammock, stared up at the AT-AT’s ceiling. Small lanterns softly lit the room, giving off a cozy atmosphere despite the harsh metal structure, and she felt herself getting sleepier with every second. It wasn’t the most comfortable bed, but _anything_ was better than sand…

 

* * *

 “Those eight eyes of yours are kinda freaky, love.”

Widow clicked a button at the side of her visor, revealing a blue, lined face. “Working as intended, then.”

She stared down the younger woman, now she had a closer look- an olive face full of freckles, a slightly crooked nose, a visor of her own that surely wasn’t part of standard Resistance uniform. Tracer had a worn leather bomber jacket slung over her shoulder, casual as ever, like she was on a date and _not_ face to face with her would-be assassin.

Widowmaker decided she hated her, but there was a touch of envy there too.

“I assume you know why I’m here.”

“’Course I do. Come to check out the hot resistance pilot, right?” Tracer’s grin was infuriating. “Nah, I’m kidding. Sniper rifle, check. Grappling hook, check. Skin tight outfit…”

“It is NOT.” Widow immediately bristled, brushing down her outfit- fitted dark shirt and high-waisted pants, nothing unusual there. _This girl is insufferable._

“But yeah, I know you’re here. You’re an a _ssassin_.” Tracer leaned closed and Widow fought the urge to take a step back. “Just between us, how much am I worth to take out? 10,000 credits? 15,000?”

“50,000, actually.”

“Holy SHIT. Now a girl wants to know who I pissed off that much. Which you’re gonna tell me, of course.”

“Or what? Assassins don’t generally reveal their employers to targets.”

“Or I scream the place down for real. We’ll be surrounded by rebels before you can move 10 metres.” She poked Widow’s rifle. “That thing is _useless_ in close combat.”

Widowmaker hated to admit it, but Tracer was right. She could grapple between the trees away from the rebels, but if the whole sector was on lockdown…she didn’t even want to think about it.

Besides, she couldn’t even give Tracer what she wanted.

“I don’t know.” Widow said, a small smirk playing on her lips at Tracer’s startled expression. _Oh, this is too good._

“What- what do you mean, you ‘don’t know’?” She made finger quotes at the last words. “Of course you know. What assassin takes a job not knowing who the fuck hired them?” Her calm composure was slipping.

“I do.” Widow said simply. “It helps tie up loose ends, and I’m not fussy about who I work for.” _Or who I take out either._ She pulled out a folded sheet of paper from her pouch, handing it to the other woman. “I was approached by a neutral party in the Coruscant Undercity, given this briefing and a set of directions, that was all. Are you happy now?”

Tracer stared down at the paper- mission details, rudimentary facts about the target, all the usual information for an assassin-for-hire. “But this says your mission is _recon_ , not murder.”

 _Assassination, you stupid girl._ “Yes.” Widowmaker snatched back the sheet. “And it seems I’ve completed it.”

Without warning, she shot out her grappling hook, zipping off to the closest tree, leaving a stunned Tracer staring off into the forest.

She didn’t need to know that Widow was ordered to kill her at first contact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I had a lot of fun writing the Widowmaker interludes, which is probably why they're a little bit longer than the other sections- she's an interesting character to get into in a non-brainwashed AU, for sure. For anyone wondering what she is, she's a Squamatan! I saw a pic of Suralinda Javos on my dashboard and immediately thought 'Widowmaker needs to be one of these in my AU', even better when I found out they shot poison from their fangs too.
> 
> I'm worried Hana and Rey are getting on a bit too friendly too fast so far, considering Rey tried 'stealing' her mech, but that's mostly because Hana is sleepy right now- there'll be conflict later!
> 
> As for the chapter title- I SUCK at thinking up of titles, so I pulled it from a song (The Canopy- The Dear Hunter.)


	3. Vertigo

**HANA SONG FLIGHT LOG**

12:35 : 16 GRZ : 34ABY

_Pilot has docked on Naboo. Commence recording._

**HANA** : Starting landing checks. Mech body- repaired, fully functional. Fusion cannons - operational. Defense matrix - the range is shorter than it should be, I need to fix it before leaving. Athena, remind me to run another scan then.

Landed in Theed! We're undercover for this mission, so I'm leaving the mech in a hidden Resistance base. Our covers are fledgling traders looking for a break, regardless if it's illegal - Lucio and I have the right accents, mannerisms, and knowledge of Naboo so we won't stick out. We tried sending Vami and Mirzam last month, and they were caught out instantly. Wait - hold on. Lucio? You want me to link you into the comms? Give me a sec – wait, I didn’t say you could get into the mech- oh, whatever.

 **LUCIO** : NICE, always wanted to try this sound system out! Helloooo to anyone watching this! Guess D.va's not ALWAYS as stingy as she -

 **HANA** : Lucio, I TOLD you not to call me that anymore! And I'm not even streaming, this is an OFFICIAL. RESISTANCE. FLIGHT LOG. You do realise all of this is being recorded? Video too? Yeah, enough of that, get out of the mech. I still love you! Song out.

 

* * *

 "Half portion."

Rey stared at the Blobfish in disbelief. He couldn't be serious, could he? After all the work she'd gone into collecting these parts, the bastard _had_ to be joking. She crossed her arms aggressively, clenching her jaw.

" _Half_ a portion? This haul is worth at least _triple_ that!"

"Sorry, that's the best deal I can do with....this." Plutt prodded Rey's pile of scraps with a meaty hand, not looking apologetic at all. "Half a portion. Take it or leave it."

 _I don't really have a choice, do I_? She could argue, but after years of trying, she knew it was useless - the trader wouldn't budge. Rey eyed the measly amount in front of her – half a portion would usually last her until her next scavenging hunt, if she was careful. _Very_ careful. But she wasn't alone now, and she couldn’t afford to be stubborn.

With one last glare at the Blobfish, she pushed her scraps towards him, grabbing the scraps offered in return.

 _I wish Hana was just a droid_ Rey thought to herself grumpily. _Then I wouldn't have to worry about this_. _All she’d need is oil_. She weaved her way through Niima's bazaar, fuming. Various vendors called out to her, shoving scarves and wraps into her face, or trying to tempt her over with wafts of exotic spices. One actually tried grabbing her arm, and she had to shove him off with a knock of her staff, sending him hissing and coughing out sand. _Serves him right._

She'd considered becoming a stall trader herself once, either here or in one of the other outposts scattered around Jakku- a dry spell of scavenging almost made her starve for a fortnight. Rey was well known in the desert, she was fair, and the thought of competing with the Blobfish was too good.

It'd just been an idea, though. Shaia had found a new ship in the graveyard before Rey could make serious plans, and she'd then pushed all thoughts of being a trader from her mind.

She wondered what Shaia was doing now.

"Ugh." Rey rubbed her forehead, staring off into the desert. She _hated_ zoning out like that, especially in a grimy place full of the Blobfish's thugs, and it just seemed to be happening more. She had things to do.

_But not places to go._

Rey jumped onto her speeder, cursing when it wouldn't start, and made her way home slowly, mind still wandering.

 

* * *

 Hana's mind was wandering too, but down much darker paths.

She was lost in the black space from her dreams again, weightless, groundless, everything-less- she could barely feel her limbs, let alone move. She tried blinking, as if the darkness was just a trick of the eyes- no, nothing. She was just as blind as before. _Great._

Even so, she could sense something- maybe someone- creeping its way towards her, radiating coldness. Hana was familiar with the cold of space, but this was something different- something alive. _Or close to it_.

"Hana Song."

Hana groggily turned towards the direction of the voice- it felt like she was trying to wade through water- and saw a tall, pale woman walking towards her. _No, not pale- blue. She's blue_. Feline-like eyes glowed in the shadows, and her face was patterned with lines, but not from age. She was elegant, and clearly deadly.

"I was wondering when you’d show up." The other woman moved with the grace of a cat- how she could _see_ around her was lost on Hana, who was feeling smaller and clumsier by the minute.

"Where am I?"

"You're not dreaming."

"That's not what I-"

"I don't _care_ what you meant." Her voice was smooth as silk, and Hana felt compelled to listen despite her growing irritation. Iciness washed over her the closer the woman got. "We don't have much time. Tell me where your Resistance bases are."

 _Huh. Not where I was expecting this to go_. "The main one is on D'Qar-"

"I already know that, you stupid child." The woman bared two small fangs. "I need the _other_ ones. Now."

Hana, 19 years old and a top Rebel pilot, did _not_ appreciate being called a child, especially not by freaky dream-invading woman. The spell was broken- she wasn’t listening to this asshole anymore. "Why should I tell you? I have no idea who the hell you are."

"I have information."

"And what, you can't go to D'Qar for that?"

"No." The stranger looked ready to throttle Hana. "I. Cannot. Now if you could just-"

There was a shift in the air- if you could call it that- and the two women were sent falling through empty space again. Hana's arm was caught in a vicelike grip, the other woman pulling her upwards so they were face to face. Red flashes of light crossed her face in a sickeningly familiar pattern, and she stared Hana directly in the eyes.

"If I die, know it's your fault, _Hana Song_."

 

* * *

 “I’m back.”

Rey pushed open the hatch to the AT-AT, fumbling through her backpack for a torch. She’d been gone longer than expected, had somehow gotten lost on the way home, and it was nearly nightfall. Her room was silent and dark, much how she’d left it this morning- except now she had a house guest. A very loud, _snoring_ house guest.

 _She’s still sleeping?_ Rey stared down at Hana, curled up in the hammock under the worn blanket. _How long can one girl nap?_ She’d always been a light sleeper herself- if _Hana_ had clumsily barged into the room, she’d have found herself at the wrong end of a staff.

 Hana groaned suddenly and began mumbling, catching Rey off guard. She thought she recognised the accent- Naboo, maybe? The words were jumbled to her, but Hana sounded _agitated_.

She reached out, touching Hana’s head lightly.

She bolted upright, shoving her hand away, eyes wildly searching Rey’s face for…what? All she’d done is see if she’s ok.

“Oh, it’s just you.” Hana composed herself quickly, pulling the blanket closer. “Uh…sorry about that.”

“Bad dream?”

“Yeah…I guess.” Hana still looked exhausted, and couldn’t stop yawning. “I keep having similar ones, you know? Always ends with a bunch of eyes staring at me. Except…”

“Except what?”

“I-I dunno.” Rey sensed she just didn’t want to talk about it. _Fair enough._ “Anyway, did ya bring back anything interesting?”  She gestured at Rey’s backpack strewn across her lap, eyes lit up.

“Not really.” She handed Hana one of the portion squares. “The Blobfish didn’t like what I had today, so…”

“Ugh, what even IS this?” She’d cracked open one of the sachets, sniffing the green paste inside. “You sure he’s not just giving you mashed up junk?”

“No- look, I’ll show you.” Rey grabbed a dented metal bowl, poured a small amount of water from her canteen, and squeezed a small amount of the paste into it. Within seconds, the paste had soaked up all the water, leaving a spongy loaf triple the size of the amount she’d put in. Rey broke off a piece and handed it to the other girl. “Try this.”

Hana eyed the bread suspiciously, took a small bite, and immediately gagged. “SHIT, this is almost worse than the rations we got on Tatooine! And that’s really saying something.”

Rey couldn’t help but laugh- a rare occurrence- the polystarch must have tasted like dirt to someone new. Hana had a lot to learn about living on Jakku.

 

* * *

 

Lena watched the sniper disappear into the trees, eyes wide and hands shaking.

She struggled to walk back to her bunkroom without breaking into a run, ignoring friendly call outs and hellos.

She collapsed into her bed, staring up at the top bunk with blank eyes.

_What the fuck._

Lena was glad the bunk room was empty, because she felt like she was about to cry, and no one needed to see _that._ She’d already avoided three assassination attempts since joining the Resistance-she was used to this, she was _trained_ for this- but it felt personal this time. Too soon after Ana, way too soon after Hana.

And she’d joked about it with Fareeha, hadn’t she? That one of them would be next? And now it had almost happened.

Lena closed her eyes wearily, curling up on her side. She didn’t even know if she should tell anyone at the base what’d happened – she didn’t want any more restrictions put on her, not like the _last_ time. But if this was the same person behind Ana and Hana’s disappearances, or affiliated with them, who else was in danger now…

Her pocket buzzed- Lena pulled out her personal comms and her stomach dropped- Emily’s icon shone out from the screen. She’d promised she’d call her girlfriend right after training, and who knew how long her confrontation with the assassin had taken? She’d been dissociating through half of it.

“Emily, I’m so sorry, you would NOT believe the evening I just had!” She tried putting on her cheeriest voice, quickly wiping away a stray tear.

“Lena, it’s ok.” Emily grinned over the vidlink, sending a warm spark through Lena. “I’ve been pretty busy too in the lab, one of our samples-”

“Hiya, Lena!” A round face popped up beside Emily, smiling just as widely. “How are you?”

“I’m good, Mei!” Lena forced herself to smile back- she loved her girlfriend’s co-worker, but right now, she just wanted to talk privately. The three of them chatted aimlessly for a few minutes until Mei announced she had a date of her own to get to, winking conspiratorially.

“Have fun Mei! Say hi to Zarya for me!” Emily waved her out. “So Lena, about this weird evening of yours…”

“Well…” Lena bit her lip, completely unsure of what to do. She knew she could trust Emily, but this was a huge thing to spring on what was supposed to be a light-hearted catch-up chat. How would she even say this?

_Better just come right out with it, true Lena Oxton style._

“I confronted an assassin today, love.” She tried sounding as casual as possible, even as Emily raised an eyebrow. “But don’t worry, she left. After we had a chat.”

“ _Don’t worry?_ ” Lena wondered how much further Emily’s eyebrows could raise. “Of course I’m going to, you big idiot. Tell me everything.”

Lena recounted her conversation with the sniper, her nerves dissolving by the minute at Emily’s understanding nods. _I’m so glad I have her._

“So, you’re telling me she was super hot, but you didn’t even get me a picture?”

“Emily!” Her girlfriend broke into giggles at Lena’s shocked tone, tears streaming down her heart shaped face. She gathered herself after a few moments, sniffing.

“No, no, I’ll be serious. Are you _okay_ , Lena?”

“I think so. She didn’t do anything to me, Emily.” Lena idly picked at her flight suit. “I don’t know whether to report this or-”

“ _You need to_.” Emily cut in, eyes narrowed. “I know you said she just ‘left’, but she could still be lurking somewhere. You have no idea who else she’s targeting.” _I’m not losing you again_ were the unspoken words Lena could sense, even through the vidlink.

What Lena couldn’t sense, though, was the sniper, so she was sure she’d left – she had a strikingly cold presence that wouldn’t be missed again. Even so, Emily was right – the risk of not telling anymore was greater than any dent in her pride, or personal freedom. She sighed.

“’Course I will, love, if it makes you sleep easier. I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> I hit a block with writing this fic even though I'm having a lot of fun, chapter 4 should HOPEFULLY be up in the next week or so (although I'm going back to uni soon so....no promises haha.)  
> I'm definitely gonna delve a bit deeper into Lena's backstory in later chapters! I was trying to figure out how to include something like the slipstream incident because it's such a big part of her backstory in-game, and I figured something out that SORTA fits in with TFA's actual canon, so...
> 
> EDIT 7/01/17 :
> 
> Went back and tweaked a few lines of description and dialogue in ch2 that seemed clunky/lacking in character. Somehow I'm simultaneously a perfectionist and very scatterbrained haha!


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